Welcome to the Gameday Guide.

Every weekend during the college lacrosse season, USA Lacrosse Magazine staff will riff on the juiciest matchups, trendiest topics and biggest storylines.

Check out the rankings and TV listings for more.

CHAMPIONSHIPS AREN’T WON AND LOST IN MARCH, but on this final weekend of the month, we do have a good sense of which teams are firmly in the conversation and which ones might not be — barring a last season burst, of course.

But there are still a handful of teams that occupy that gray area in the middle. Syracuse began the season every bit a Championship Weekend favorite, but some close games and a loss to Florida have at least cast some doubt on that.

The Orange have a tune up against Temple on Saturday before facing Loyola on Tuesday in what figures to be a pivotal game when it comes to the Division I hierarchy.

This isn’t meant to be pick on Syracuse. The Orange are hardly the only team prompting pundits to take a closer look. This weekend, a handful of those teams — Stanford, USC, James Madison and Notre Dame — all get a crack at convincing fans, media, and most importantly, the NCAA Selection Committee.

GAMES TO WATCH
ALL TIMES EASTERN

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 4 Northwestern at No. 12 Michigan

This game should do a lot to break down the Big Ten hierarchy. Maryland is the conference’s lone undefeated team, but Northwestern was the preseason pick to win the contest, and the Wildcats have since turned the corner after a couple shaky outings.

Michigan, meanwhile, was on very few radars entering the season but has affixed itself into the middle portion of the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division I Women’s Top 20.

This is a battle of two different philosophies. Northwestern takes the field each game with the focus on piling on the points. And while Michigan would, of course, love to do so too, the Wolverines are a defense-first team.

In the classic matchup of strength versus strength, it’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top.

BEST GAME NO ONE’S TALKING ABOUT

Arizona State at No. 19 USC

Ever since the Sun Devils absolutely blitzed Colorado a few weeks back, there’s been a palpable energy in Arizona. Colorado was No. 19 at the time, and this weekend, ASU takes on another West Coast team at that same rank in USC.

USC is coming off a loss to Stanford — which is righting the ship after a slow start — and Arizona State can make a massive statement by taking down the Women of Troy.

SMALL COLLEGE GAME OF THE WEEK

Division III — No. 4 William Smith at No. 16 St. Lawrence

This is the second game of a back-to-back Liberty League weekend for both teams, with St. Lawrence hosting No. 5 Ithaca while William Smith visits Clarkson on Friday. Picked seventh in the LL's preseason coaches poll, St. Lawrence is averaging nearly 17 goals/game during its 6-0 start, which includes a win over then No. 10 Brockport. William Smith dropped its first game of the year earlier this week in a showdown against No. 1 Salisbury. Senior midfielder Payton McMahon led the Herons with three goals in that game to reach the 100-point career plateau. — Paul Ohanian

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